Carrot Cake Cheesecake Cake ~ Bakery-Style

She’s A Beauty:
Carrot Cake Cheesecake Cake ~ Bakery-Style

The first time I ever had the pleasure of tasting a combined carrot cake and cheesecake, it was in 1996 at a family owned Italian restaurant. Their innovative pastry chef had used carrot cake batter as a base to their classic cheesecake and swirled additional batter into the cheesecake itself.

The cheesecake was spiced just right and experiencing it was like tasting a super creamy but pleasantly dense version of carrot cake. I was hooked and even replicated a close version that was just as satisfying at home. The concept itself seemed to be such a natural progression for a newfangled cheesecake since carrot cakes are adorned with cream cheese frostings. No better way to present both cakes than in a cheesecake, right? Or, so we all thought.

Nowadays, food bloggers have been creatively adding a cheesecake layer, as a center filling, between two cake layers. And, none other than Lori Lange of RecipeGirl.com, has become “The Queen of the Cheesecake Cake” concept.

Lori did not know this…but, just recently, I had been planning on featuring my first cheesecake cake published on my blog in her honor. (Three cheesecake cakes are being planned thus far.) However, at first, I didn’t realize I had wanted to do this particular cake at this particular time. It wasn’t until late last week that I decided to prepare this carrot cake version over the weekend and feature it today—the week leading into Easter Sunday. (In fact, this post was supposed to run on Monday. However, Indianapolis was slammed with snow! Here, north of Indy, we got just about 10 inches over Sunday and Monday’s winter snow storm—incidentally, this kept me busy shoveling snow and out of the kitchen.) Featuring a Carrot Cake Cheesecake Cake seemed like the ideal “cheesecake cake” with perfect timing for the spring holiday.

Why would I be honoring Recipe Girl with a “cheesecake cake” recipe, you ask? Well, it is for two very simple yet important reasons:

1) As a BIG thank you. Lori is an exceptional leader. She is down to earth and approachable to peers and everyday foodies alike–despite her success. The brands she works with must consider themselves fortunate for having partnered with her. Lori didn’t know this newbie from Adam (No…not Levine, Kristen! And, I didn’t even have a live blog yet.) when we connected just about one year ago via Twitter. All she knew was that I was planning on starting a food blog soon and that I had congratulated her on her first book deal, The Recipe Girl Cookbook (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; 1st edition; release date of April 16, 2013, per Amazon.com). She replied back to my tweet, “Thank you!” Her graciousness was refreshing. Lori deserves recognition for her leadership and to be thanked for her kindnesses.

[Edit: If there ever was doubt of Lori’s outstanding leadership, question no more. Check out her post for all food bloggers, just posted today: Food Bloggers: 150+ Links to Everything You Need to Know.]

2) To celebrate the upcoming release of Lori’s cookbook, The Recipe Girl Cookbook, of course! This is Lori’s first cookbook and she will soon officially be (in just a few short weeks!) a published cookbook author. This is quite an accomplishment and a celebration in need of a special cake—from someone who appreciates her and wishes to share in her joy with a big pat on the back the way a good friend would. If I was having Lori over for cake, to celebrate the release of her cookbook, this is the cake I would prepare for her!

Lori is always helpful, warm, friendly and professional. For this new girl on the block, Lori’s support has meant a great deal.

So, Lori… thank you! Thank you for being you. Thank you for leading and supporting so many in your industry. We appreciate and support you as well. We are thrilled for you, over the moon and back, over your accomplishments. At this time, we are delighted to congratulate you on the upcoming release of your first cookbook, The Recipe Girl Cookbook!

May the Lord continue to bless you, now and always.

Cheers!~Stacy

Now, let’s get to the cake!

I have been making my carrot cake for over 20 years now. It is moist, tender, and spiced just right. The recipe is an amalgamation of several recipes and influenced most by Mrs. Fields’ (Debbi Fields) carrot cake recipe (from her cookbook, Mrs. Fields Cookie Book, published in 1992 by Time Life Books) and the one found in my copy of the New Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook which only calls for grated carrots in the batter—nothing fancy, but a good basic carrot cake. Sometimes, I use melted butter in place of creaming the butter as in Mrs. Fields’ recipe. However, for this recipe here, I am calling for oil as most people find it convenient and economical as well as easy—by simply being familiar with preparing carrot cake in this way.

The main significant changes for the cake recipe are that, in 1990, I used half light brown sugar and added shredded sweetened coconut along with the carrots and pineapple and loved it. Family and friends both agreed it was the best carrot cake they had ever tasted. When I bake this carrot cake recipe, sometimes I divide the batter between three 8-inch round cake pans for a nice compact but taller cake which always looks impressive with the three layers when sliced for serving. (See the “Options” section below, under “Notes” in the recipe, for directions on baking the cake in three 8-inch round cake pans. You will also find an option to bake the carrot cake batter into cupcakes as well as a gluten-free option.)

Sometimes I stir raisins into the batter, about ¾ cup. But, when I do, I prefer adding golden raisins (sultanas) because the cake seems prettier to me this way. The golden raisins, when studded throughout the cake, resemble little golden gems that glisten ever so slightly due to their moisture. Also, I like to use cold-pressed (or expeller-pressed) oil when I do use oil in my carrot cakes. My specific preference is using organic cold-pressed sunflower oil. However, a favorite nut or vegetable oil will do nicely.

Just as with my carrot cake recipe, my Cream Cheese Buttercream recipe was inspired by the one found in my New Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. It is quite the opposite of Mrs. Fields’ recipe which calls for two 8-ounce packages (16 ounces) of cream cheese and only one stick (½ cup or 4 ounces) of salted butter. The BHG recipe calls for one 8-ounce package of cream cheese to one stick of butter (again, at 4 ounces). However, I increased the amount of butter from the BHG recipe to create a true “Cream Cheese Buttercream” in a 1:1 ratio (8 ounces to 8 ounces) of cream cheese to butter with enough confectioners’ sugar to thicken the consistency to pipe beautifully. Sometimes, I even use one stick of salted butter with one stick of unsalted for a nice salty-sweet balance.

As for the walnuts, I tend to reserve them solely for embellishing the sides of the cake, after finely chopping, versus adding them (typically, coarsely broken or chopped) to the batter. This way, the cake is moist, tender and indulgent throughout, without any disruption of harder nuggets—thus, in perfect harmony with our creamy middle cheesecake layer. Sometimes I toast the nuts, other times I don’t.

The taste and contrast in texture of the finely chopped walnuts marries nicely with the soft, buttery nature of the buttercream frosting for a welcome surprise while also balancing the sweetness. In addition, the nut coating, combined with the simple and easy-to-execute piping along the top circumference (using a no. 21 star tip), provides visual appeal making this incredibly moist and tasty cake, look “finished” and especially pretty—just as if it was prepared by a professional bakery.

For a little pop of color and added texture, I like to sprinkle the perimeter of the cake’s top surface with freshly grated carrot and shredded sweetened coconut as well as a whisper of freshly grated nutmeg over the top.

Finally (of course!), the cheesecake layer is entirely an adaptation of Lori’s wonderful recipe. The cheesecake layer is very creamy and “light as a cloud”. This is due to the recipe calling for part heavy whipping cream and part sour cream. The heavy cream provides the levity for the cheesecake layer making it an ideal match to the light, moist and tender carrot cake.

As a side note, I did see that Beantown Baker had made a beautiful Carrot Cake and Cheesecake Cake. I am not the first to feature one on a food blog. However, I did take note that Beantown Baker had used the Cook’s Illustrated recipe for carrot cake. I will say this, Cook’s Illustrated rarely disappoints. I mean, like never. However, I was not fond of their carrot cake recipe that uses oil (they have another that uses butter) when I tried it and prefer my recipe. Their recipe calls for more flour and oil (1/2 cup extra each), with the same amount of eggs and carrots, and less spice, which makes their cake dense, dry and less tender (a bit tough) as well as less interesting. Although my Carrot Cake Cheesecake Cake has a slightly squashed bottom cake layer, I will take that over dry and less tender and flavorful any day. To remedy the bottom squashed layer, I will retest this recipe and freeze the bottom cake layer so it will hold up to the frozen cheesecake layer once assembled. I will come back and share my results by an edit to this page and, perhaps, include additional photos as well.

Your family, friends and guests will be so impressed they will beg you for the recipe or declare that henceforth you shall bake this cake for every gathering or special occasion!

Truly, I hope you, as well as Lori, will enjoy making, serving and tasting this lovely layered “cheesecake cake” along with family and friends—either for this Easter holiday or anytime. It is phenomenally good!

Q: So, is cheesecake a cake or a pie? For some fun, ask the question and discuss amongst your culinary friends to see what they have to say. What will your friends and family say? Will a huge argument ensue? Oh dear! Also, do an Internet search and see what you find. It is hilarious reading folks arguing over their strong opinions:

“It’s a cake because of the name, CheeseCAKE!”“It’s a pie because there is a crust!”“Cheesecake is a cake because the early Greeks called it a cake and they invented it!”“It’s a custard pie and cheesecakes don’t rise like cakes do!”

Because I love music (and I’m a complete “dorkette” as a writer), I like to sprinkle and weave song lyrics throughout my posts from time to time. For some reason, certain songs or films pop into my head when working on a certain recipe. While developing this “cheesecake cake”, the following 1980s song, by The Tubes, popped into my head. Here is a portion of the lyrics with notations in brackets relating to the cake:

She’s A Beauty – by The Tubes

Step right up and don’t be shy, Because you will not believe your eyes. [Two cakes in one!]She’s right here behind the glass [Your computer screen, ha!]And you’re gonna like her, [Guaranteed. You really are!]’cause she’s got class.You can look inside another world. You get to talk to a pretty girl. She’s everything you dream about… [Seriously, carrot cake & cheesecake together!]But don’t fall in love… [Because, if you do, she can go right from your lips to your hips!]She’s a beauty —One in a million girls, She’s a beauty.Why would I lie?Why would I lie?

I would never lie. This cake? She’s a real beauty. Those who love carrot cake AND cheesecake? They’ll be totally smitten. If you don’t like carrot cake or cheesecake, what are you doing here reading all this anyway? Ha!

Piping bag, coupler and no. 21 star decorating tip, not necessary if no piping is desired

Directions

Prepare the Cheesecake Layer: Arrange oven racks to lower and middle positions and preheat oven to 325ºF. Place a 9×13-inch baking dish or pan on the lower rack of oven and fill it halfway with water. The middle rack should be just above the pan of water which will provide added moisture to help prevent the cheesecake from cracking during baking. Generously grease springform pan with butter and set aside.

Using an electric stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, or handheld mixer and large bowl, beat the cream cheese until creamy. Gradually add sugar and beat until fully incorporated, scraping down the sides of bowl as necessary with rubber spatula. Add the eggs, one at a time, blending well after each addition. Add the sour cream, heavy cream and vanilla; mix until fully incorporated and smooth. Using rubber spatula, scrape and pour batter into prepared pan. Place springform pan on middle rack in preheated oven above the pan of water.

Bake in preheated oven until cheesecake is just set in center and no longer jiggles, about 40 to 45 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven and place on wire cooling rack. Immediately, run thin metal icing spatula around edge of pan to loosen cheesecake from sides of pan. This will prevent any surface cracking as the cheesecake cools and contracts. Allow cheesecake to cool completely, at least 1 hour. Once the cheesecake has cooled, place it (while still in the springform pan) into the freezer, covered with plastic wrap. Let the cheesecake freeze completely, about 4 to 5 hours or overnight.

Prepare the Carrot Cake Layers: Arrange oven rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 325º F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with butter or oil. Line bottoms with parchment or wax paper circles. Grease paper linings and dust lined pans with flour, tapping out the excess.

Using an electric stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, or handheld mixer and large bowl, mix flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices on low speed (stir) until well combined. Add oil, eggs and vanilla; mix on low speed (stir), scraping down the sides of bowl as necessary with rubber spatula.

Bake in center of preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Run thin metal spatula around edges of each cake to loosen, then invert onto wire rack and peel away parchment or wax paper. Turn right side up onto wire racks (using an additional rack to flip); cool completely.

Prepare the Cream Cheese Buttercream: Using an electric stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, or handheld mixer and large bowl, beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla on medium speed. Gradually increase mixer speed to high and continue beating until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of bowl as necessary with rubber spatula. Gradually add 4 cups confectioners’ sugar, beating on low speed (stir), until well combined. Add additional confectioners’ sugar until desired consistency for spreading and level of sweetness is reached. Beat on high speed until well combined and smooth, about 1 minute.

Assemble & Ice the Cake: Place one cake layer onto serving plate, platter or cake pedestal or stand in the center. With icing spatula, spread about 3 tablespoons frosting evenly over top of cake. Remove cheesecake layer from the freezer. Loosen cheesecake from sides of pan by running thin metal spatula around the inside rim. Unmold cheesecake by removing sides of pan. Carefully, slide a hot knife (warmed under hot running water and wiped dry) under the cheesecake, and slide knife around the circumference, to release it from bottom of springform pan. (I used my chef’s knife for this task. However, a long serrated knife will work as well. Be careful!)

If necessary, trim cheesecake to match the size of the cake layers. This is done by measuring the cheesecake layer against the cake layers on a cutting board. (I did this by using a sheet of wax paper between the cheesecake layer and the remaining carrot cake layer on cutting board.) If the cheesecake layer is slightly larger in circumference, use a knife to carefully shave away some of the outer edge of the frozen cheesecake to match the outer edges of the cakes until all sides are even or flush. (When trimming the cheesecake layer, I lifted the wax paper upward to take a peek and then sliced the cheesecake using my chef’s knife.)

Place cheesecake layer on top of the first cake layer. Spread 3 tablespoons frosting over top of cheesecake. Place second cake layer on top of the cheesecake layer. Spread frosting over top and sides of cake neatly and evenly. You may do a crumb coat and then chill the cake for 30 to 45 minutes before completing the icing, if desired. However, if decorating the sides of the cake with nuts, you can skip the crumb coat because the nuts will hide any crumbs showing.

To Decorate the Cake: If decorating the cake, gently press finely chopped walnuts onto sides of cake. This is easy to do if the cake layers are assembled onto a cardboard cake round. Simply hold and balance the cake on the cake round in one hand and use free hand to press the nuts into the sides of the cake. Use a sheet of parchment or wax paper, or even a sheet pan, to catch the excess.

If not using a cardboard cake round to hold the cake and press nuts into sides of cake, it is still easy to do. Simply line your cake plate or pedestal with four 4- to 5-inch wide strips of wax paper and use hand to press nuts onto sides of cake. The wax paper strips will catch the nuts that fall away. Turn the cake as you work (a cake turntable is helpful, but not necessary) all the way around. Once finished, scoop away the fallen nuts with spoon and pull the wax paper sheets away leaving a clean cake plate or pedestal.

Pipe a simple or fancy border with your favorite tip (I used a no. 21 star tip) around the perimeter of the top layer. Sprinkle shredded coconut in a circle on top of the cake, just inside the piped border. Then follow with freshly grated carrot just inside the perimeter of the coconut. Dust the top of the cake with freshly grated whole nutmeg.

To Store the Cake: Keep cake covered and stored in refrigerator until ready to slice and serve.

To Slice & Serve the Cake: Slice the chilled cake with a thin knife that has been dipped in hot water. Wipe knife clean after each cut. Use a cake server to transfer slices of cake to dessert plates. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

Tips:

Cake may be made one day in advance. Keep covered in refrigerator.

Prepare cheesecake layer on the day or night before the cake layers. This will make for less time in the kitchen the day you bake and assemble the cake.

When measuring all-purpose flour for this recipe, aerate your flour by stirring it then use the dip and sweep method. Dip your 1-cup dry measuring cup into the flour and scoop lightly, then use a thin metal icing spatula or straight edge of knife to sweep. This way, you should get approximately 125 grams of flour per cup measure, or 250 grams of flour for the carrot cake layers.

Use insulated cake strips such as those by Wilton® to ensure cake layers bake evenly. If you do not have insulated cake strips, you can always trim your cake layers so the top of each is level.

If not using immediately, the buttercream can be refrigerated for up to 2 to 3 days in an airtight container. Before using, bring to room temperature before beating smooth again.

After frosting the layered cake it is best to chill it until firm, about 1 to 2 hours. Chilling, before slicing the cake, will yield neater cake slices for a better plated presentation.

About Stacy

Stacy Bryce is a recipe developer and member of the IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals). Her passion is developing original conventional baking recipes as well as special diet recipes to include dairy-free, gluten-free and grain-free. You can follow Stacy at Pinterest.

Wow! Blown away, girl. Amazing looking creation…and just in time for Easter. And I agree about Lori. She’s always been super encouraging, friendly and helpful..especially in an intimidating world. xo, Alison

WOW!!! I love this post girl!! what a rockin’ tribute to Lori. I have been a fan of hers forever and I agree how nice and approachable she is. I can’t wait to get my hands on her cookbook either – its going to be so great!! Love all your step by step cheesecake pics too. You did a fabulous job I am sure Lori will love this!

Thank you, girlfriend! Love it…”rockin’ tribute”! It truly is well deserved. I cannot wait for her new book either…it’s bound to be a great one! I hope Lori enjoys this tribute as well. Thanks again, Shanna! xo

Okay, first of all, THANK YOU for the shout-out and all of the nice things you said about me. Truly these are just about the nicest things anyone has ever said about me… you totally made me CRY! And second, you should be VERY proud of yourself for all you have accomplished in such a short period of time. You knew you wanted to start a blog, you did it, and look at it now! WOW! You are amazing, and I know you will be very successful at this food blog thing.

And lastly, what an impressive cake you have created. I had this one in my head too… and then I forgot about it. It’s perfect for Easter. I have another one in my head that I guess I’d better do sometime soon before you make it first, lol! Lovely, lovely post. Thank you dear- can’t wait to meet you IRL 🙂

Thank you for stopping by my li’l ol’ blog, Lori! I deeply appreciated your Twitter DM today. Now, you’re making ME cry! Everything I mentioned about you in the above post is true. You deserve every accolade and blessing that comes your way and it is my pleasure to give the positive shout-outs for Recipe Girl. It is rare when you meet someone not only with the same interests, but thinks just like you do. Our creative minds are very alike! But, truly I could not have accomplished what I have in such a short amount of time without the support of others—especially you! Thank you for the compliments, well wishes and for cheering me on. It means so much to me.

Thanks for the compliments on the cake, too! I do not doubt for a single moment that you have had a Carrot Cake Cheesecake Cake in your head for RecipeGirl.com! OK, game on…for the next round of “cheesecake cakes”, LOL! I have two extraordinary ones planned, so this shall be fun! Again, it was my pleasure to honor you in this post. I look forward to meeting you, too, IRL! xo

I was so busy admiring the cake that it was not until the fifth picture that I noticed your “Grovesnor” cake fork! I collect the pattern and have a ton of it. This is the first time I’ve noticed it featured in a food picture. Can’t wait to try the cake, which, of course, is the general idea!

Thank you, Peggy, for noticing my vintage Oneida “Grovesnor” cake fork! Fell in love with the pattern and purchased a set sans soup spoon from a food stylist just outside of Chicago from her Etsy shop. So pretty when photographed with a slice of cake! Thanks for stopping by and I hope you’ll try the cake. Happy Baking!

This cake looks so good and it’s too perfect to even be real!! It’s like a fake cake it’s so perfect and I mean that in the best possible way! WOW!!! I am sooooo impressed! I love carrot cake and this is moist, perfect texture, LOVE that THICK!!! filling layer, oh wow, Stacy! Amazing! Pinning!

Aww…thank you SO MUCH, Averie! You are THE VERY BEST! Always good to see your smiling face in my comments section. Truly appreciate your support and cannot wait to get your cookbook! So many good ones coming out this spring. Happy spring baking, girlfriend! xo

Thank you, Christina! I just adore your blog. Many of your recipes will come in handy when baking for two…just me and The Big Lug. He will love your baking recipes! It has been a pleasure to meet you! xo

I made the Carrot Cheesecake this weekend for Easter and everyone loved it. A couple people wanted to recipe so I came here to send them the link but now this recipe has drastically changed in the past two days. Can you please point me in the direction of the original recipe?!?! Thank you.

Thank you, Ange! You did a swell job featuring this cake on your blog. Thank you for the compliments and for the link back to my blog. You blog with integrity and passion which is so important. Just left a sweet comment for you. Your blog is truly lovely (fabulous name, too) and is assured success! xo

I love Pinterest and all you wonderful people . Your carrot cake is exquisitely beautiful . I just require all winter to read the “” how to “”etc . I am a 77 year old bachelor w/ ASHLEY my golden Retriever who can’t wait to make your cake w/ a venison steak and if I live a few more years have a piece of my 3rd cake in my tree house that Iam dreaming about..
Have you ever heard of a blueberry pie made w/ VODKA ? I believe it’s part of the crust recipe . It’ll be a pleasure following you .
Sincerely , Bob Peck , Navy Vet .. Korea & Vietnam

Thank you for writing, Bob! So very kind of you to take the time to comment. I greatly appreciate your sweet compliments. We food bloggers do work hard to prepare tasty recipes with drool worthy images for our readers and incoming visitors from Pinterest. I agree with you…Pinterest is fabulous! And, yes…I have heard about pie pastry dough being made with vodka…for any type of pie. 🙂 Your Golden Retriever has a lovely name. I’m sure she would appreciate that steak versus a piece of my Carrot Cake Cheesecake Cake though! 😉 I am working on yet another “cheesecake cake” to post here on the blog this week. I sure hope you’ll love it and drop by and tell me if you do. It has been an honor to have you drop by today, sir. You made my day. Wishing you and Ashley all the best in 2014 and for many, many more years together! Thank you for following. God Bless You. And, thank you for serving our country! xoxo

Thank you for commenting, Donna. I use Penzey’s Cinnamon (ground) in my baking, too. In fact, I recommended it here on the blog in this recipe. Thank you for sharing your opinions on your favorite brand. Meanwhile, have a great weekend!

Thank you, Esther! I greatly appreciate your stopping by and for providing positive feedback for me and my readers. I’m just delighted that you had a positive kitchen experience making this cake and that you enjoyed it as a special dessert. And, yes…Lori of RecipeGirl.com has popularized these fun “cheesecake cakes” and I enjoyed dedicating this recipe to her. Just recently, I completed a Chocolate Nutella Cheesecake Cake and shared it here on the blog. I have a few more planned, so stay tuned. Thanks again for stopping by and have a great week ahead!

Hi!
I am excited to make this for a friend’s upcoming birthday. I’m hoping you could give your input on a few questions…. How many do you think this will serve (feeding 15). Also, I am planning on making a freezing the layers ahead of time and flying with them (2 hours) and assembling/frosting the cake upon arrival. Do you think the carrot cake would freeze okay?
thank you!!

Hi there, Brooke! To answer your question, the cake will serve 10 to 12 people. (My apologies for missing the servings count in the recipe. I will correct it right now.) To serve more, you could make some extra cake batter and buttercream to prepare cupcakes. This would be the ideal solution if some do not like cheesecake or if, in the total count of people, there will be little ones (they can always get a few bites of cheesecake from an adult). The carrot cake layers freeze beautifully. Just be sure to a) allow them to cool completely first as this will prevent any steam trapped inside making the cake layers soggy, b) wrap each layer very well using plastic food wrap, c) do not stack the wrapped cake layers because it would “smoosh” them, 😉 and d) when you thaw the cakes, ideally, place each on a wire rack on a countertop and leave the wrap on. This way, the condensation (moisture) during thawing will remain on the wrap itself and not on your cakes which would make them soggy. If using a wire rack to thaw is not possible, do your best so they don’t get smushed. Will you also be making the cheesecake in advance? It is important to keep it frozen solid until assembling (you could try refreezing it when you arrive at your destination to assemble the next day, but I have never tried that), so I’m not sure how you can accomplish this while traveling during a 2 hour flight. What I would suggest is to have someone you can count on to freeze a pre-made 9-inch cheesecake from a local quality bakery and skip baking one yourself. This way, when you arrive to your destination, and are ready to assemble the cake, it will work just as well as if you baked your own cheesecake and froze it in advance. Of course, this would be infinitely easier. 🙂 If doing so, just follow the directions for assembling your cake from the point of shaving off the sides of the frozen cheesecake to fit the cake layers (which tend to shrink a bit after baking). Refer to the images at the bottom of the post to guide you for assembling. Your friend is very lucky to have you as a close friend to do such kind thing, Brooke. Best of luck to you and I hope everyone enjoys your cake. It’s going to be fabulous!

Thanks Stacy! Great tips and such a quick response!! I really appreciate it.
I’m going to do a “test run” this weekend with the freezing etc…. for the flight- not sure yet. May pack well and re-freeze.
take care!

Made this for dessert tonight…a huge hit! I had trouble getting the frozen cheesecake layer off the spring form pan bottom…so I warmed the foil covered pan in a warm water bath…and it popped right off. Thank you. I will make again for sure!

Thank you for writing, Carol Lee! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe and that you were able to successfully remove the cheesecake from the springform pan. Thank you for reminding me to add a few tips to this recipe to wait a few minutes, wipe the bottom of the pan with a warm soaked kitchen cloth or to dip quickly into a warm water bath. Sometimes, right from the freezer, the cheesecake can be stubborn. Once again, thank you for writing and for sharing your experience with me and fellow readers!

Thank you for writing, Mihaela! My pleasure. I’m so glad you enjoyed this Carrot Cake Cheesecake Cake for Easter! It is a family favorite of ours. Once again, thank you for stopping by and for sharing your experience with me and fellow readers. Happy Easter!

Made this cake to take to our friends house for Easter dinner. They were cooking an entire lamb Argentinian style and I wanted to make sure the dessert was up to par with such a great elaborate dinner. Amazing doesn’t come close to describe it! Everyone loved it! My friend thought it was store bought when I showed up with the cake 🙂 thank you so muh for sharing the recipe and for being so detailed in the instructions. It really helped me a ton!

Thank you for writing, Lourdes! My pleasure. I’m so glad you and other guests enjoyed this recipe. It is a favorite at our house and also when shared with others. Thank you for dropping by and for sharing your experiences with me and fellow readers. Have a lovely week! 🙂

I just made this cake over the past 2 days. I made the cake part and cheese cake part the night before. I put the cheese cake in the fridge covered in cellophane and left the cake layers on the counter wrapped in cellophane (I believe this helped it firm up a bit but still moist), I made the frosting on day 2. I had some serious problems with the cheesecake though. I cooked it at 325 for 45 min and it was a bit jiggly, but it was pulling from the sides and the top was golden brown, but it still wasn’t done. I removed the water pan thinking it was blocking the heat from the bottom. I had to continue cooking another 30 min! This was the first time baking a cheesecake in my new oven so that could be part of it, but I also think it’s the recipe. Many cheesecake recipes I’ve found that call for milk or cream also call for flour. In the future I would omit the heavy W/C or find a different recipe for the cheesecake. The final product was fantastic aside from my failed cheesecake. The frosting is to die for! In the past I’ve always used a box of Spice Cake Mix and added carrots and I always felt like I could do better than that and with this recipe I defiantly have!

Hi there, Jessica! I appreciate you writing to share your experience with this recipe with me and fellow readers. The cheesecake is definitely a “light and airy” one, by design. If flour is added, like New York Style Cheesecake, it would be too dense and heavy when paired with the light crumb of this carrot cake. I do suspect the problem could be your oven. Please test your oven’s temperature with an oven thermometer (they are inexpensive under $10 and I use the Taylor brand) or have it professionally calibrated. No one else has reported a problem with this cheesecake recipe and I have only had and heard of positive results. This particular cheesecake recipe was adapted from RecipeGirl.com and has been well-tested. Meanwhile, I am glad to hear that you enjoyed both my Classic Carrot Cake and Best Ever Cream Cheese Buttercream recipes. They both are truly to die for! Please take these steps, checking and perhaps calibrating your new oven, for yourself and baking sanity. 😉 Testing your oven will provide some answers for all of your baking to ensure you are never disappointed again after all of your hard work in the kitchen. Once again, thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful weekend!

Hi there, Annleslie! Thank you for writing. Please accept my sincere apologies for the tardy reply. I have been away from blogging several months due to illness (a terrible recurrent allergic reaction we just couldn’t figure out!). To answer your question…I purchased the cake stands from Williams-Sonoma almost 2 years ago now. However, you may be lucky if W-S brings the design back or will be offering another one close to it for Easter 2015. Keep an eye out for them soon. Right now, the only place to find them would be to look on the secondary market–perhaps at eBay. Thanks again for dropping by and… Happy Holidays!

I had an imaginary carrot cake cheesecake in my head that I wanted to bake for my birthday party. After a little bit of searching on Google I found your recipe.
The cake was sooooooooooo yummy. The carrot cake layers are very moisty (I like!), the cheesecake layer is so nice, and I couldn’t stop eating the frosting while I was decorating the cake.
I am from the Netherlands so I measured all the ingredients in grams and ml and it worked out great. I only had to change Fahrenheit to Celcius.

Thank you for the positive feedback, Daria! My pleasure. I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe for Carrot Cake Cheesecake Cake and that it measured up to the imaginary cake you had in your head for your birthday. 🙂 This cake is a favorite at our house. However, I apologize for not having the Celcius temperature included in the recipe. Truly, I should update every baking recipe here on the blog for my international readers. Thank you for the friendly reminder, my friend. Thanks again for writing and happy baking!

I am SO very excited to find your recipe on Pinterest. Hubby’s birthday falls on Easter this year and the combination of cheesecake (his favorite) with carrot cake (for Easter) is absolutely perfect! THANK YOU!

Thank you for writing, Tammy! My pleasure. I’m so glad that you have found the ideal cake recipe to celebrate both your hubby’s birthday and Easter. My husband loves this cake and I just know yours will, too! Please let me know what everyone thinks. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by and… Happy Easter!

Thank you for writing and sharing your positive feedback with me and other readers, Liz! My pleasure. I’m so glad you and your guests enjoyed this recipe. It is a favorite at our house both in the spring for Easter and in the fall!

I made this recipe this past Easter weekend and it was deliciously decadent! The critics (my fam), large in number and sometimes hard to please, were raving about it. The carrot cake was moist and perfectly spiced (I figured it would be — Mrs. Field’s carrot cake is an all-time favourite!). The cheesecake middle was a lovely surprise. I kept to the recipe, only adding a touch more vanilla and spices, and decorated with toasted coconut instead of walnuts (nut allergy) and Cadbury mini eggs and a chocolate krispies carrot. All in all, it catered to everyone’s taste and it was devoured! Thanks for sharing!! 🙂

Thank you for writing with such positive feedback, rred! My pleasure. I’m so glad everyone in your family was overwhelmingly pleased with this recipe. It is a favorite at our house. Thanks again for dropping by!

Hi Stacy
I am so delighted to tell you I am your new big fan, your recipes construction are all amazing.
Last night I tried making the batter for the carrot cake, because I only have 200 grams of grated carrot, I replaced some with banana, and I added cranberries to my cake. At first I was super shocked of the batter’s texture. It was super runny, but in the end after it had finished baking in the oven, the outcome was extremely outspoken !!! Superbly moist ^^
Thanks for sharing your recipe Stacy
You are a very talented one ^^

Our choice for a wonderful combination Easter & Birthday celebration! BTW: I have short term memory loss from an accident, and your detailed, step by step adding pitfalls to avoid was a great find enabling me to actually do some real cooking. Thank you. No doubt this Cheesecake/Carrot Cake will be a favorite!

This appears to be exactly the carrot cake recipe I want to use! I am making a three tiered wedding cake for a family member and she is asking for carrot cake. Has anyone tried making tiers with this? I wont be adding the cheesecake layers to the top tiers as that seems like pushing my luck on the weight. I will use good doweling to support the layers as well. Just hoping someone had tried stacking it!

Hi there, Kate! Thank you for writing with such a great question. However, I really wish I could answer your question based on experience of actually stacking Carrot Cake Cheesecake Cake in tiers. With that said, I have definitely stacked a 3-tier cheesecake for a bridal shower and it is pictured here. I used the dowel method, but only used plastic drinking straws. (The support was adequate. Unbelievably, it worked! I learned about the technique in The Cake Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum.) If you have concerns about the top tier, simply use a 3-layer smaller carrot cake for the top. To make things simple, here is a link to my Carrot Cake – Best Ever Bakery-Style. Thanks again for writing and good luck with stacking your cheesecake cake tiers! 🙂

Hi Stacy, The recipe looks great and I plan to try it next week. Did you ever figure out a solution to the bottom layer getting a little crushed under the weight of the cheesecake layer? Thanks for any information you may have on this!

Hi there, Julie! Thank you for writing with such a great question. Although I have not had time yet to test this recipe for Carrot Cake Cheesecake Cake again, my approach would be to make a non-baked cheesecake that calls for plenty of whipped cream making it lighter in weight so as not to crush the bottom layer of cake. I apologize for not being able to answer your question more completely or even sooner. However, I promise to venture into this territory in the New Year following the holidays. Right know, I am incredibly behind schedule for my Holiday 2017 program due to a blog redesign (taking up so much of my time) and breaking my foot of all things! Thanks again for writing, Julie. 🙂 Warmest wishes to you and yours for a holiday season that is both merry and bright!

Thank you for the reply, Stacy. It’s much appreciated! I’ll keep an eye out on your blog next year for your updates on this dessert…completely understandable that this time of year is too busy to try different versions of the cake! I’m going to give the recipe as it is a whirl and see how it comes out. Happy Thanksgiving! 🙂 And hope your foot heals quickly!Julie Vianello recently posted…Grandma’s Perfect Jam Thumbprint Cookies

Thank you for the sweet reply, Julie! My pleasure. So glad that you will be giving this recipe for Carrot Cake Cheesecake Cake a whirl. It really is worth the effort – especially for carrot cake and cheesecake lovers. Thank you for the well wishes for me and my poor foot! I appreciate it more than you know. 🙂 Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving to you as well!

Welcome to My Kitchen

My name is Stacy. I'm a recipe developer, food writer, baker and member of the IACP. I love to concoct tasty baked creations to share with others—both traditional and gluten-free. Welcome to my Wicked Good Kitchen!